Saturday, April 20, 2024
Saturday, April 20, 2024
In today's digest, Boeing cuts the government a little slack to find money for the V-22 program, the Air Force moves forward with a key modernization project for the B-52 bomber fleet, the GAO serves up its latest report on the KC-46A program and much more.
First up, news on three big-ticket weapons programs:
Bell-Boeing grants DOD another extension to find money for two must-fund V-22s
The Bell-Boeing Joint Program Office, prime contractor for the V-22 Osprey, has again granted the Navy more time to figure out how to come up with funds to buy aircraft the government is contractually obligated to purchase in fiscal year 2017 -- or risk abrogating a $6.5 billion multiyear deal that originally promised $850 million worth of savings.
Air Force taps Boeing to be sole-source integrator for B-52 Radar Modernization Program
The Air Force has formally selected Boeing to be the integrator for the B-52 Radar Modernization Program, a key early step in moving forward with a planned major improvement that aims to swap out 1960s radar technology -- upgraded in the 1980s -- with modern capabilities to allow the Global Strike Command to fully utilize the capabilities and payload of the legacy bomber fleet.
GAO finds continuing schedule risk for KC-46A, declining program cost estimate
The Air Force's KC-46A aerial refueling tanker, a developmental program buffeted by repeated schedule delays and cost growth for prime contractor Boeing, continues to face risk of meeting the current delivery schedule, according to a new report by congressional auditors.
Air Force considering options to increase F-35 buy in the near term
The Air Force is analyzing its options for ramping up F-35 production beyond what is currently programmed over the next five years, but the service's top uniformed acquisition officer said this week that a steep incline to an annual 60-jet buy is unlikely under existing budget constraints.
Air Force to field Block 5 Reapers in May
The Air Force confirmed this week it plans to field MQ-9 Block 5 aircraft for combat in May, after the Pentagon's former director of operational test and evaluation called those Reapers operationally ineffective in his fiscal year 2016 report to Congress published Jan. 10.
Some space news:
Analysts, industry see challenges in using commercial approach for launch
As the Air Force works toward full and open competition in the national security space launch market, analysts and industry executives say the service may find it a challenge to loosen its grip on oversight as it weighs the risks and benefits of a more commercial approach.
Updated SBSS FO strategy will address Air Force, NRO requirements
The Air Force confirmed this week it is working with the National Reconnaissance Office to jointly address indication and warning and space situational awareness requirements through its Space-Based Space Surveillance follow-on program.
Lastly, a forecast on future Army spending.
Modernization projected to continue as 'bill payer' for Army
So long as budget constraints persist, modernization of the Army’s aging platforms will continue taking a back seat to other service priorities, several senior leaders concede.